"What do you know? My ex-wife has a relative in the Huangfu family, so the Xie Group can't directly get involved," Xie Zhendong said, using both persuasion and pressure. "Without my help, your group won't win the bid, and you won't even get this thirty percent profit. Think about it yourself."
"Mr. Xie, I didn't mean anything else. I'll do whatever you say regarding the bidding," Zhao Jianhua finally understood why the Huangfu family was targeting Xie Zhendong.
Xie Zhendong had offended the Huangfu family when he divorced his first wife, Feng Rou.
"Very good. I'll have my people come to your company to take over the bidding for this project," Xie Zhendong said and hung up.
Zhao Jianhua was still saying "yes" but cursing inwardly.
This was an opportunity he had fought hard for, and Xie Zhendong wanted to snatch it away without any room for negotiation.
He became more and more angry, so he took the initiative to contact Huangfu Sishu and arranged a secret meeting, wishing that the Xie Group would be swallowed up immediately.
Huangfu Sishu was slightly surprised by Zhao Jianhua's overtures. He had only intended to involve him in the bidding, not to satisfy his greed. Why was he proactively cooperating?
Before meeting Zhao Jianhua, Huangfu Sishu still informed his elder brother about the matter, seeking his advice.
Huangfu Sisong guessed that Zhao Jianhua must be quite subservient to Xie Zhendong. Zhao Jianhua's desire to undertake such a large project for their Huangfu Group alone would inevitably arouse envy, and Xie Zhendong would be the first to be envious.
Xie Zhendong would not miss the opportunity for Zhao Jianhua to participate in the bidding.
After listening to his elder brother's analysis, Huangfu Sishu knew how to handle the meeting with Zhao Jianhua.
...
Before the Lunar New Year, Sasha finally received permission from Xie Zhendong to visit the Xie family mansion and meet Jie Jie. However, she was not allowed to reveal that she was Jie Jie's mother during the meeting. She was to visit the Xie family mansion as a friend of Zhan Jiayi to see Jie Jie.
Sasha didn't care what identity she had to use to see her child. As long as she could see him and relieve her longing of the past period, she would do anything.
She dressed up meticulously and arrived at the familiar Xie family mansion.
But as she walked into the hall, she found that the furnishings inside had changed drastically. The antique, traditional Chinese-style furniture had all been replaced with fashionable, luxurious, and bright colors.
It was a dazzling sight, like the castle most girls dreamed of.
It seemed that Xie Zhendong had put a lot of effort into renovating the mansion to please Zhan Jiayi.
She couldn't help but feel hatred and jealousy towards Zhan Jiayi, and she waited for Jie Jie's appearance.
Zhan Jiayi knew Sasha would be visiting Jie Jie today. Xie Zhendong had told her about it last night and instructed her to let Sasha see the child and then send her away quickly.
The thought of finally facing Sasha made her prepare in advance, ensuring that Sasha would not have an easy or pleasant time.
She personally carried the child into the hall and saw Sasha waiting there. Smiling, she said, "You're here. Make yourself comfortable." She then instructed a servant to serve Sasha tea and snacks.
But Sasha's eyes were fixed only on her child. She said to Zhan Jiayi, "Yes, I came to see you. Let me hold the child."
Zhan Jiayi did not hand the child over to her. She put the child down and said, "He's very shy now and won't let you hold him. Just look at him like this."
After not seeing him for some time, Jie Jie could already walk. However, the little fellow walked unsteadily, babbling to Zhan Jiayi with unclear pronunciation.
As soon as Sasha saw her child, she couldn't control herself. She opened her arms and called out to Jie Jie, "Come here, come here and let Mommy hold you."
Jie Jie only glanced at her, then shyly hid from her, still babbling unclearly towards Zhan Jiayi, "Mommy hold, Mommy hold..."
Sasha couldn't believe that her child recognized Zhan Jiayi as his mother.
Zhan Jiayi glanced at Sasha with a smile and said to Jie Jie, "How many times have I told you, I'm not your mommy. Call me Aunt Zhan. Do you understand, Aunt Zhan?"
Jie Jie ran to her lap and changed his words, "Auntie hold, Auntie hold."
Zhan Jiayi picked him up and kissed him, saying, "Good boy, you're such a good boy."
He then snuggled in Zhan Jiayi's arms and refused to walk on the ground himself anymore.
Sasha tried hard to control her almost collapsing emotions and still said in Jie Jie's direction, "I am your mother. Can Mommy kiss you?"
Jie Jie, however, was now a stranger to her. He wouldn't even look at her, burying his head in Zhan Jiayi's shoulder.
Zhan Jiayi felt it was enough. "You've seen the child. I should take him to rest now."
"Wait! What did you do to my son? Why doesn't he recognize me as his mother anymore?"
Zhan Jiayi said innocently, "This child is still young and doesn't understand anything. I haven't taught him anything. It's just that you haven't seen him for a while, so he doesn't recognize you well. It's quite normal."
"How can my son not recognize me as his mother? This is impossible!"
Zhan Jiayi handed the child to the nanny and asked her to take him back to the room. She said to Sasha impolitely, "A child of two or three years old naturally gets close to the person they see every day. They don't have much concept of a mother yet. Besides, you've already given up his custody. It's not good for his physical and mental health for him to still remember you and be attached to you. It's better if he doesn't recognize you."
Sasha, completely losing control of her emotions, tried to chase after the nanny to get her child back.
Zhan Jiayi immediately had someone stop her and threw her out.
Through the large iron gate of the Xie family mansion, Zhan Jiayi said coldly to her, "Don't forget what you promised Zhendong before coming to see Jie Jie. Not only did you fail to do so, but you also tried to evoke the child's attachment to you. Don't come to see him again. Since you gave up his custody for inheritance rights, you should act as if you never had this child, and it's best if you forget him like he forgets you."
"Zhan Jiayi! My child can't not recognize me! What exactly did you do to him! Give me back my child, give him back to me!"
"You are the one who abandoned him, and you are the one who doesn't want him!" Zhan Jiayi turned away coldly with sharp words, instructing the household servants not to let her in again.
Sasha felt heartbroken. Her Jie Jie didn't recognize her!
Later, she didn't remember how she left the Xie family mansion and returned to her own residence.
She seemed to have walked for a long time on the busy streets, her breathing becoming difficult.
Before she suffocated and collapsed, someone supported her and brought her back.
When she woke up, she found herself lying on the sofa in her living room. Her clothes had been changed into comfortable pajamas, and she was covered with a quilt.
Her head was groggy, and her whole body felt like it was falling apart. She only heard rustling sounds from the kitchen.
She sat up from the sofa, put on her slippers, and was about to get up when she saw Yu Wei coming out of the kitchen with a plate of fragrant fried eggs.